


Runaway.

by mylifeasinvisibleme



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Librarian!Draco, au of some sorts, avid reader!Hermione, but let's just mark it as, drama-ish i guess?, extremely off topic sorry, librarian/avid reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 06:51:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2419139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeasinvisibleme/pseuds/mylifeasinvisibleme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco left for good, and doesn't want to be found. Hermione goes looking for him, regardless. They meet in the place where she never thought she'd ever see him; the local library.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Runaway.

**Author's Note:**

> based off a prompt the queen of rude (aka carryonmywaywardbluebox on tumblr) sent me. it went off topic too soon and it might suck exactly because of that. sorry. hope you enjoy anyway! :D

25\. librarian/avid reader au

 

Draco was almost done for the day, the building was empty and he was stacking up the last of the returned books so that Pasny would find them neat and tidy and wouldn't have a problem putting them back to their place on her shift. Well, she would, but if everything was in order there wouldn't be much complaining on her part. He could almost hear her voice in his head; "For the love of Merlin, Draco, you could have at least put 10 damn books back where they belong instead of having me do it because you're a lazy shit!" And that he was. 

-

She was there. Hermione Granger had left everything and everyone for a whole week to find him, to see him and you could bet your ass she would. She'd already spent five days in the city, stressed, running from place to place, clueless of a more specific location, hoping of running into him. She had no idea what she'd tell him, but that didn't matter. What was important was that she'd find him, the rest she could figure out along the way. That was something he'd taught her: "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, love." And maybe that's what would get her to him. 

On the evening of her fifth day at the unknown city, the young woman thought she'd better relax. Maybe she wouldn't find him after all, so why not enjoy the rest of her trip in the best way she could? Just borrow a book from the local library and go for a walk at the beach. That sounded nice. She smiled for the first time in weeks. Maybe it didn't matter if he stayed lost after all. 

-

Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of the heavy, brass door opening and closing persumably by a person. There was no other living being around that could've opened it, since it required both hands and some force. His eyes turned to the entrace and his icy grey eyes met a familiar feminine frame. Shorter than him -maybe a head or so-, petite and a bush of brown, curly locks framing delicate features. It couldn't be Granger. She was in London, her whole life was there. What on earth would she be doing in Liverpool? Still, as the woman came closer to his spot, Draco's vision cleared and he was sure it was her, not wanting to believe his eyes. He just stood there, staring, dumbfounded. 

"M- Malfoy?" her voice was raised a couple octaves in surprise and it brought him back to reality. 

"The one and only." Left. He added in his thoughts, an unpleasant sting going through his heart. 

"What are you doing here?" her gaze was travelling up and down his figure, Merlin knows why. To see if anything had changed since they last met, perhaps? But what could have changed?

"I surely could ask you the same thing." a sly smile hung on his lips. 

"We're in a library. I read -."  
"What, and I don't? Actually, I work here." he cut her off mid-sentence, picking up old habits just to make her angry. Her face would get all flushed, her tone would be dead serious and her look could kill on the spot. If there was one thing he'd missed the most about her, was that. Her anger. And what would usually follow. 

This time her face didn't flush, her voice turned to normal and her eyes shined in the least menacing way. "You're right, I'm sorry. Apparently you do." 

"Are we really going to do this Granger?" he felt like he'd been punched in the gut and like every breath she took, emptied the air from his lungs. 

"Doing what?" 

"Playing dumb and happy when we're like... this. Why are you in Liverpool, Hermione?" it was his turn to be serious and she was scared. Not of him, of course not. Of the situation, the feelings, the memories. 

It had been such a long time since she'd heard her name roll off his tongue, but the last time was so bitter and this was worse. He'd told her he would be leaving. Not only her, but his life in the city, going somewhere to start fresh, get out of that mess. She understood. She couldn't follow, her job, her friends, her family were there and she wouldn't give up on them for a man. And so he left with a dry goodbye and nothing more. A few months had passed and she found out by accident where he was; by the sea, somewhere he always wanted to be. Nights went by without any sleep, just rolling on her bed cold and hot at the same time like she had fever. All those nights flashed before her eyes before she answered.

"I took a week off from work and came to visit some family." she lied through her teeth. She had no family in the city, she only had him. Part of her wanted so bad to just spend her week wandering the streets and part of her wanted to bump into him, talk. And there she was, talking. But she didn't want to talk. She wanted to just go away, leave him behind her, in her past where he belonged, for good. "I'm gonna go now..." she mumbled and turned on her heels to leave. 

"No." Draco grabbed her wrist to stop her, reasons unknown even to him. He'd left her. He'd left everything, why would he want her to stay? It hadn't been easy, but it was over now, no reason for starting it again. "Don't lie to me." Everything was so confusing, he hadn't had time process what he felt what he wanted. But he desreved the truth. 

Hermione sighed deeply and let her wrist free of his grasp that was so tight it hurt her a little, even though she doubted he'd realized. 

"I can't do this right now." she almost pleaded. 

"Then what else are you here for if not doing this? The truth." he reminded her and his heart broke at the sight of her sad look, like it always did. 

"I don't know why I'm here okay?" exclaimed Hermione, her voice rising. "I found out you were here and I just came. I don't know why." her hands were burried in her hair, pulling them lightly to fight back tears. "Why did you stop me?" the realization hit her harder than she expected and suddenly the sea of emotions in her mind calmed down. 

"Because it's been seven months, two weeks and five days that I've been gone and each morning I have to drag myself out of bed because I don't think that I can do anything without you by my side. And I want to wake up next to you and fall asleep to your soft breathing and make you breakfast and make you smile and I can't function without any of those to keep me going." Draco was almost yelling by that point, yelling words that he'd kept burried deep inside all that time, too scared to face the truth; that he loved that girl, he always had. He paused and he noticed tears escaping her deep, brilliant eyes that he adored. "That's my truth."

Silence filled the room and it felt like a thousand small needles in Hermione's heart. She had no idea. All this time... she didn't even know if he was dead or alive, he'd given no signs of life because she thought that he wanted nothing to do with her, because maybe he'd seen that something was wrong between them, something she ignored, and he decided to be cold and just let it, them, go. 

"Please, say something." his voice was nothing more than a whisper. He'd just bared his soul to her, told her things he'd been avoiding like the plague all these months. And frankly,he was scared. Scared of what she might say, scared of her leaving, scared of her staying. He had nothing figured out and he was tired of not knowing, of not being in control of his life and emotions. 

Seconds passed and the young woman stood motionless, paralyzed. She tried to think, but all she could do was feel and what she felt flooded every fiber of her being. Love, regret, pain, and so many other emotions she couldn't quite place. She had to speak, but she had no words. What would she say? I want you back? She did, but what would change? Would he come back home? She couldn't leave, she knew that. She may loved Draco with all her heart but she couldn't leave. 

"Would you come home?" she uttered finally, her gaze locked with his, her voice low. 

"In half a heartbeat." his words were sincere, the was no doubting that. He moved his hand to capture hers once again, this time gently, lovingly, like he used to. 

-

Half an hour later found them in a coffee shop just a few blocks down, fingers intertwined.  
"Why did you leave, Draco?" finally, she said it. It was out. He almost chocked on his espresso.

"Pansy." was all he said. Hermione's jaw dropped, her hand left his. "No no no, you.. I didn't mean it like that. She needed me. Things were going south for her. I had to."

"And what, I wasn't worth saying goodbye to? Like I wasn't worth an explanation? Like I wouldn't understand? Cut the crap Malfoy." 

A few moments passed while Draco debated on whether he should just get it over with or not. It would be complicated. It would be messy. But on the other hand, that was their whole relationship, complicated and messy. Fucked up to the core. But she'd be there for him. He knew she would. 

"I felt like I was chocking. It wasn't your fault, no way. But I felt like I had to get away. And I did. And I fucked up every little thing that was good about my life, most of all us. But I run, Hermione. That's that I've always done, I run and I hide waiting for the storm to pass." 

"You could've told me."

"And you'd tell me to stay. Thanks, but no thanks."

"Oh so you'd rather have our relationship like this, me worrying out of my mind every fucking day, not being able to focus, losing sleep and appetite. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" silence caught up with them once again. "So much for loving me." Hermione muttered under her breath and got up to leave.  
"I'm sorry. Please. Please, don't leave. I was wrong, selfish. I was dumb, I didn't think it through, I didn't think of you. I do love you, what can I do to prove it?" now tears were welling up in his eyes as well, no matter how much he tried to blink them away. 

"You've already done enough. I can't stay. I don't want to stay."

"I need to make this right for you. I don't want you to be sad, especially because of me."

"Well, it's a little bit late for that now." her voice cracked, tears stained her flushed cheeks.

"Let me make it better. And then leave. But I want you to be whole when you do, I can't stand the thought of me breaking you."

"How the hell do you want me to be whole without you?" and that was it. Those were the words that made all her scars bleed again, that tore her soul open for him to see. She didn't want that, but she couldn't help it. She loved him and perhaps she could give him another chance. Give herself some hope that things could get better between them, that they'd finally talk. She remembered her mother telling her that some people needed to be pushed to their limits, get on the edge of the cliff and then realize they never intended to fall but they enjoy the view.

And Draco was that person. He pushed his luck and everyone around him, but when it came to Hermione, his little otter, once was more than enough. He was ready. He was in love and nothing could stop him.


End file.
